News & Views - A sampling of news articles, announcements and such concerning the Parkway. Most of them have hyper links to the original, full-text sources. Newest material is placed at the top; scroll down for older material. Aspects of these documents will be more thoroughly discussed in the BLOG as time permits.
City Actions: On June 21, 2004, The Baltimore City Council passed Ordinance 03-1143 which reads in part: "Urban Renewal - Charles/North Revitalization Area - Amendment __
ORDINANCE - FOR the purpose of amending the Urban Renewal Plan for Charles/North Revitalization Area to authorize the acquisition by purchase or by condemnation of certain properties for urban renewal purposes..." This ordinance was subsequently signed into law by Mayor Martin O'Malley. It allows the city to acquire certain properties within the Station North Arts and Entertainment district for the purpose of revitalizing them. Among the properties are the Parkway Theatre and several immediately adjacent properties which will be offered as a package to any developer wishing to respond to an RFP (Request for Proposal) that will be issued by the City in the coming months. A primary requirement for any developer interested in these properties will be to show that they have the financial resources to carry the project through to completion. It is hoped that interested developers will provide (and the City will insist upon) MORE, rather than LESS comprehensive plans for the theatre complex, and that they will find many of the suggestions offered in this website to be attractive enough to warrant inclusion in their plans, especially the WurliTzer Theatre organ which is undergoing enlargement even as it currently remains in storage, awaiting its rebirth.
A
Baltimore's City Paper has named the Parkway Theatre as "Baltimore's Best Old Building" in its "Best of Baltimore" issue that appeared at newsstands September 17, 2003. City Paper Staff is to be commended for their enlightened choice for this honor and we hope it will bring much needed attention to this initiative. Click the image below (on left) to read the complete story.
Here's another selection played on Wurlitzer theatre organ Opus #1419:
Read my "Thank you" HERE.
Baltimore Mayor Announces...
On October 30, 2008, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and the Central Baltimore Partnership unveiled a multi-phased development initiative for the Charles North Community. The full text of the announcement can be found by clicking HERE (or the first page of the letter above). Also, see two related stories in the Baltimore Sun HERE and HERE.Conspicuous by its absence (in the Mayor's announcement) was any specific mention of the Parkway and how it will play into this ambitious development plan. It seems the Parkway is the 80,000 ton elephant sitting at North Charles Street and North Avenue that nobody wants to recognize or talk about. At least the two Sun articles were a little more cognizant of the Parkway. This website has now had over 10,000 visitors since it was started in 2000, not so much when compared with Google or Microsoft hits, but a little surprising for a site of this type. Still, despite the literally hundreds of hits that are traceable to schools, colleges, libraries, law firms, professionals of all kinds, local, state and federal government agencies, politicians, large multi-national corporations, investment firms, banks, and private individuals of means, there has not been, in all that time a SINGLE serious inquiry from any visiting entity that has expressed interest in becoming more involved in the Parkway's restoration as envisioned by this site.If you also find this a little odd, won't you take a minute or two to send an email to Mayor Dixon, that expresses your enthusiasm for the "Charles North Vision Plan", and your concern that, as of yet, nothing seems to be congealing around a comprehensive restoration plan for the Parkway. Info a copy to the folks at BTA+Matrix Settles and tell them why you enjoy this site, assuming of course that you do! Also, please info (or BCC) a copy of anything you send them to the webmaster. Do you only come here to listen to the music? If so, wouldn't you like to hear a lot more of it? In its proper location? From an appropriate instrument? Consciousness is a difficult thing to raise sometimes. Can you help? Thanks from the bottom of the orchestra pit!Recent Developments
There are two recent news stories about the status of the Parkway. This Link takes you to a story on the Baltimore Examiner web site by Adam Meister, Baltimore Political Examiner, on the apparent seizing of the Parkway by the Baltimore Development Corporation, a process that has been underway for over five years while the present owner attempted to acquire investors and develop a plan for the theatre's restoration. That story contains another link (or just Click Here) to a 7/17/08 story in The Maryland Daily Record by Robbie Whelan with more detail about the development . BDC has also issued a study contract to BTA + Matrix Settles for the long term redevelopment of the entire Station North Arts and Entertainment District. We remain hopeful that whomever is eventually chosen to do the restoration, they will remain amenable to, and recognize the wisdom of returning the WurliTzer to this fantastic venue.
EXCELLENT NEWS!
Parkway named Baltimore's
Best Old Building 0f 2003
EXCITING NEWS!
(c. 2002)
An Interested Party associated with this project has just made an investment in WurliTzer theatre organ Opus #1419, a two-manual, 11 rank theatre organ originally installed in New York City's Clinton Street Apollo Theatre. If the renovation plans for the Parkway proceed essentially as outlined in this web page, there is an EXCELLENT chance that this organ will be made available for installation there at the appropriate time. At 10 ranks (with an added Post Horn rank), Opus #1419 (Style "H") is three ranks larger than WurliTzer Opus # 1421 (Style "F") which was removed from the Parkway in the 1960's. Interestingly, these two organs, only two Opus numbers apart, began their installations in their respective theatres only two days apart in August, 1926. Perhaps Fate has seen to it that the Parkway will take renewed life and success from this promising turn of events.
Wurlitzer Opus #1419 is now in storage in Baltimore awaiting further developments at the Parkway. Click HERE to see more information on this fine instrument, and to hear another musical selection played on it a few years ago.
Click on the above image to see the 62-page PDF document entitled "Charles North - The Operations Manual". This is a document produced by BMA+ Settles as a result of the Station North study contract issued by the Baltimore Development Corporation. The Parkway Theatre is mentioned on pages 5, 14, 15, 36, 38, 51, 57 and 61. Warning: This is a very large document that may take several minutes to download.
Click on the above image to see the 44-page PDF document entitled "Charles North Vision Plan". This is a document produced by BMA+ Settles as a result of the Station North study contract issued by the Baltimore Development Corporation. The Parkway Theatre is mentioned on pages 5, 32, 33, 34 and 41. Warning: This is a very large document that may take several minutes to download.
"Please"
Click HERE to access the Charles North Vision Plan Brochure that presents many of the Vision Plan concepts in abbreviated form.
(The following story appeared in the Baltimore Sun on December 14, 2008. It discusses the neighborhood surrounding the Parkway Theatre, its economic status and many of the revival efforts taking place there. Click the hyperlink at the bottom of the story to access the original story.)
A cultural crossroads in the city
(Ex: The Baltimore Sun, December 14, 2009)
By Laura Barnhardt | Special to The Baltimore Sun
December 14, 2008
The Charles Theatre is a mainstay of the Charles North neighborhood. (Baltimore Sun photo by Monica Lopossay / December 9, 2008)
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next Within one square block of the Charles North neighborhood there is a gallery announcing a coming live painting; a spoken word exhibit; a theater staging a film noir comedy; and a bar where the staff is known to perform on a trapeze.
So it's no surprise that the neighborhood, an eclectic mix of galleries, brownstones and theaters near Penn Station, is drawing residents who enjoy art and entertainment.
"It's a lot of fun here," says Tim Reed, a 26-year-old resident and booster who was among the first tenants in the renovated Railway Express building. "It's quirky - a great Baltimore neighborhood."
Charles North is roughly bounded by Interstate 83 on the south, Hargrove Alley to the east, 22nd Street to the north, and Falls Road to the west. It is part of the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.
Related links
• Scenes around Charles North Photos
Scenes around Charles North Photos •That designation comes with tax incentives for artists who produce and sell their work in galleries in the neighborhood.
That designation comes with tax incentives for artists who produce and sell their work in galleries in the neighborhood.The nearby Maryland Institute College of Art and several theaters, including the Charles Theatre and the Everyman Theatre, also influence Charles North's artistic reputation.
"It's really a happening place," says Andrew Kreinik, a Realtor with City Life Realty.
In October, city officials announced a goal of transforming the district into a $1 billion "cultural crossroads" for Baltimore. The plans include expanding Penn Station with a hotel and shopping arcade, building residential towers for college students and professionals, redeveloping of historic landmarks such as the Parkway Theater, North Avenue Market and former Chesapeake Restaurant building, and creating a park along the Jones Falls Valley.
"It builds on the momentum we have going," says David Beilenberg, executive director of Station North Arts and Entertainment Inc.
Because of the current economic slump, it could take several years for the pace of the projects to pick up and for new construction to begin on vacant parcels, Beilenberg and others involved in the area's development say. But when it does, they say Charles North could be Baltimore's next hot neighborhood.
"This area just has to take off," says the Rev. Dale W. Dusman, a pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church and president of the Charles North Community Association. "There's a lot of potential."
Housing stock Large, Victorian rowhouses are typical of the Charles North neighborhood. Some have been divided into multiple units. The prices of houses currently on the market range from $149,000 to $510,000.
A four-story brownstone with four bedroom suites, four and a half bathrooms, Sub-zero stainless appliances, granite kitchen counters, a theater room, a Trex deck and two parking spaces is listed for $439,900.
An 1800 rowhouse with four-bedrooms and two bathrooms and parking that needs renovations is listed for $235,000.
The neighborhood also has rental properties, including Railway Express Lofts, a former parcel post office at 1501 St. Paul St. near Penn Station that was renovated into a $19 million apartment complex last year.
Rowhouses in the 1600 block of Latrobe St. have been rehabbed for artists to live and work in. Two of 11 are currently available for rent, or to rent with an option to buy. East-West Properties Inc. plans to renovate two other rowhouses as part of the project.
The Station North Townhome community, with both rental and for-sale properties, is just outside the Charles North boundaries on North Calvert Street.
Schools Baltimore's first public Montessori charter school opened at the former Mildred Monroe Elementary building in August. Students range in age from 3 to 9 years old. The school is full, with a waiting list.
Traditional public schools in the area include Dallas F. Nicholas Sr. Elementary, which has met Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, requirements, a tool used to track academic progress.
Students from the area also attend William C. March Middle School, formerly named Harford Heights Middle School, which has not met AYP goals. Families have a choice to send students to either W.E.B. Dubois or Reginald F. Lewis high schools, both of which meet AYP goals.
Crime Property crimes such as vehicle thefts and thefts from vehicles make up the bulk of reported crime in the neighborhood, according to the most recent data from the city Police Department.
But violent crime lingers as a neighborhood concern. Of two incidents earlier this year at a nearby nightclub, one involved an assault and another was a stabbing.
The Midtown Community Benefits District is paying overtime for police officers to increase patrols in Charles North and several other neighborhoods.
Transportation Commuter and light rail trains stop at Penn Station. MTA buses run through the neighborhood, which is easily accessible to MLK Boulevard and I-83.
Related links
• Scenes around Charles North Photos
Scenes around Charles North Photos Shopping The nearest malls are The Gallery at Harborplace and Mondawmin Mall, where a Target opened in July. Shops in nearby Charles Village include a Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
Dining In Residents grocery shop at Save-A-Lot, located at 20th Street and Maryland Avenue, or Safeway, located at 25th and North Charles streets. An Eddie's Market is also nearby.
Dining Out Area restaurants include Sofi's Crepes, Joe Squared, Tapas Teatro, Caribbean Paradise and Station North Underground Cafe.
Nightlife The neighborhood has a mix of theaters, art galleries with performance spaces, bars and dance clubs. Some of the hot spots are the Charles Theatre, Everyman Theater, Load of Fun Studios, The Depot and Club Charles.
Recreation: In addition to a couple of small "pocket" parks located in the neighborhood, the 746-acre Druid Hill Park is nearby.
Laura Barnhardt is a former Sun reporter.
(The following story appeared in the Baltimore Sun on October 30, 2008. It discusses in detail most of the salient elements of the Station North Vision Plan. Click the hyperlink at the bottom of the story to access the original story.)
A new vision for arts district
(Ex: The Baltimore Sun, October 30, 2008)
City unveils 30-year plan to transform 100-acre area north of Penn Station into a regional crossroads of culture
By Edward Gunts
October 30, 2008
A sketch of North Avenue as planners hope it will look. (October 29, 2008)
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next City officials plan to unveil a multiphase plan today to transform a 100-acre arts and entertainment district north of Pennsylvania Station into a $1 billion "cultural crossroads" for Baltimore over the next three decades.
Mayor Sheila Dixon is set to endorse the initiative for the Charles North renewal area, which is centered on the intersection of Charles Street and North Avenue and includes the state-designated Station North arts and entertainment district.
The Charles North Vision Plan includes 1,900 residences, 557,000 square feet of shopping space, 300,000 square feet of office space and 4,700 parking spaces in the area roughly bounded by St. Paul Street on the east, 20th and 21st streets on the north, Howard Street and Falls Road on the west and the Jones Falls Valley on the south.
The plan was developed over the past year by a design team led by some of the architects who brought Harborplace to Baltimore 30 years ago. It's intended to build on renewal efforts already under way, including an influx of arts venues and business incubators.
Related links
• How it looks now Photo
How it looks now Photo • Area around Penn Station Photo
Area around Penn Station Photo Highlights include: expansion of the 1911 Pennsylvania Station to include a hotel and shopping arcade north of the train tracks; residential towers for college students and professionals; a design district for artists and architects; redevelopment of historic landmarks such as the Parkway Theater, North Avenue Market and former Chesapeake Restaurant building; and a park along the Jones Falls Valley.
"The Charles North Vision Plan is the result of a strong partnership between the residents, business and the cultural community," Dixon said. "By coming together, we will build on the momentum that has already been taking place throughout the community, and help build a stronger and more sustainable neighborhood for everyone."
This initiative is different from previous proposals for revitalizing Charles North because it marks a fundamental change in how planners look at the area. Instead of treating it as a local exercise in commercial revitalization, involving new streetlights, facade repairs and other cosmetic improvements, it recasts the area as a regional destination, with the Amtrak and MARC lines that serve Penn Station giving it potential for large-scale, transit-oriented development.
"Up until now, we have seen it as a typical neighborhood revitalization struggle, with some housing revitalization and some Main Street-type revitalization on North Avenue," said Joseph McNeely, executive director of the Central Baltimore Partnership, one group working with the designers. "This time we're thinking bigger."
"We're going back to seeing the area the way it was 100 years ago - as a regional center," said Dale Dusman, pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church and president of the Charles North Community Association. "We don't want this to be a neighborhood that you drive though. We want people to spend time here. We want to bring back the spirit that used to be here. We want it to be an asset for the whole region."
In recent years, the area has seen a variety of independent developments, including the Metro Gallery, Station North Arts Cafe Gallery, Windup Space and Load of Fun galleries, Railway Express lofts and expansion of the Charles Theatre.
The latest vision - some of which would take years to complete - comes three months after the Dixon administration changed the boundaries of Baltimore's annual Artscape festival to include parts of the Charles North area, in hopes of showing its development potential.
"This area is already undergoing an exciting renaissance, and the vision plan will help guide us into a future of sustainable growth," said Fred Lazarus, president of the Maryland Institute College of Art and chairman of the Central Baltimore Partnership.
The plan proposes creating four zones to anchor the revitalization effort:Charles Gateway/Penn Station, Charles and North Corners, Asia Town, and the Creative/Design Zone.
Some elements could start in the next several months. They include:
• Demolition of the former Goldbloom's clothing store building at the northwest corner of Charles Street and North Avenue to make way for new development. The building, also known as the former Chateau Hotel, has been damaged by fire and is now controlled by the city, which is expected to bring in a demolition contractor before winter.
• Issuance by the city of a request for proposals to redevelop the former Parkway Theater at 3-5 W. North Ave. and two adjacent buildings. The 1915 theater, designed by Oliver B. Wight, could be a cabaret and venue for films, live music and theatrical performances, but it needs an expanded lobby and improved backstage facilities.
• An engineering and feasibility study for the proposed expansion of the train station on the surface lot just north of it. Possible elements include an underground "robotic garage" for several hundred cars, a hotel and conference center, a shopping arcade, and a park and band shell for outdoor concerts.
The city is seeking about $1 million in federal transportation funds for the engineering and feasibility study. The entire project, inspired by the redevelopment of Union Station in Washington and other Amtrak stations in the Northeast, could cost $100 million or more.
• Redevelopment of the 1928 North Avenue Market by its current owners to contain an arts-focused mix of shops, eateries and offices.
• Use of the former bank building and surrounding property at the northeast corner of Charles Street and North Avenue as a community meeting place and site for street fairs and other outdoor events. The owner has offered to make the property available to the community on a short- term basis, McNeely said.
Later phases of the plan call for projects that will take longer to complete, including:
• Asia Town, a retail, cultural and residential district along 20th Street at Charles Street, with Washington businessman Tony Cheng as the developer.
• A design district where architects, planners, artists and others could have offices, showrooms, galleries and meeting space.
MICA, Morgan State University and University of Maryland officials, among others, have been talking about creating a shared center for design students working on urban projects. That facility could then be a magnet for a larger district serving design professionals, artists and others.
Related links
• How it looks now Photo
How it looks now Photo • Area around Penn Station Photo
Area around Penn Station Photo • High-density housing, including a "live-work-study tower" near the northeast corner of North Avenue and Howard Street, and additional towers south of North Avenue and east of Howard Street. The buildings would serve students and professionals.
• Creation of a "Falls Hill Park" along the Jones Falls Valley, linked to the district by trails and paths, and other green spaces.
The plan was developed by a design team led by BTA+ of Cambridge, Mass., the successor to firms that designed Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Harborplace in Baltimore, South Street Seaport in New York and other festival markets.
The city, property owners, University of Baltimore, MICA and the Goldseker Foundation raised more than $150,000 to fund the plan.
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Short-term plans
• Demolition of the former Chateau Hotel
• Request for redevelopment proposals for the former Parkway Theater
• Planning for a new retail and hotel addition to Penn Station
Long term plans:
• Development of an Asia Town near the intersection of Charles and 20th streets
• Establishment of a design district for architects and students
• Creation of a park along the Jones Falls
(The following story appeared in the Baltimore Sun on November 1, 2008. Veteral Baltimore Sun Staff Writer Jacques Kelly presents an up-beat view of the Parkway area, an area he knows well as a long-time resident of the Charles Village neighborhood. Click the hyperlink at the bottom of the story to access the original story.)
Charles North is already more than just a vision
(Ex: The Baltimore Sun, November 1, 2008)
Jacques Kelly
November 1, 2008
Doreen Bolger, my Charles Village neighbor, invited me to join her at the Single Carrot Theatre, one of the cultural arrivals along North Avenue. The place was new to me, and it was time to learn what's going on in the slow but steady rebirth of Penn Station's environs.
There were many familiar faces in the 40-seat theater, people who, like myself, had not caught up with all that was happening in the former commercial neighborhood between Mount Vernon and Charles Village. I say "former" because North Avenue is showing tangible signs of changing from the dreary place it's been most of my adult life.
This theater troupe, which chose to move to Baltimore, has created a little playhouse near North and Howard in what had been Lombard Office Supply; decades ago, it was a Graham Paige auto dealership. There is also a spacious and well-lighted art gallery adjoining it and numerous studios in other parts of the cavernous building.
Last Saturday night, after an excellent performance of Food for Fish, I looked across North Avenue and thought to myself: "It's happened. The street is no longer a place where not much happens, a setting for lonely people in an Edward Hopper painting."
Jacques Kelly Bio | Recent columns
It's time to readjust perceptions.
This week, the Charles North Vision Plan was unveiled; as someone who lives nearby and knows how convenient the place is, the idea of 1,900 new residences is appealing. It's a good thing that the city wants to see what had been a dynamic part of Baltimore revived.
It was 30 years ago that I wrote a column about the fate of the old Parkway Theater (5 W. North Ave.), then recently closed after a long run as the spot where I saw some of my favorite films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The Parkway, though closed for three decades, has been largely preserved. It makes my list as just about the last of Baltimore's great treasures to deserve a makeover now that the glorious American Brewery on Gay Street is quickly returning from a long hiatus. If you thought the Hippodrome has an amazing interior, wait until the Parkway shows its stuff.
Is this arts district already more established than most people think? Probably, despite the presence of many vacant structures and buildings.
I considered how many happy evenings I've spent at Joe Squared Pizza (133 W. North Ave.) and recalled meeting its owner, Joseph Edwardsen, the day he told me he was opening a restaurant at North and Howard. I thought he could lose his shirt. He opened in November 2005, and he's not looking back.
And what about all the plays at Everyman Theatre, movies at the Charles, sangria interludes at Tapas Teatro and drinks at the Windup Space, a bar in the North Avenue Market building? I've even been shopping for a picture frame at the new art supply store in an old brick building that once housed the Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad offices.
So by the end of Saturday evening, after the Single Carrot performance, I felt so encouraged that I walked home, popped into a bar along the way for a nightcap and anticipated the next show on North Avenue. Maybe in a year I'll be seeing some attraction at the Parkway.
(The following story appeared in the Baltimore Sun on May 6, 2009. It announces the issuance of a "Request For Proposal" by the Baltimore Development Corporation for the Parkway Theatre and two adjacent buildings. Click the hyperlink at the bottom of the story to access the original story.)
Baltimore seeks theater developer
(Ex: The Baltimore Sun, May 6, 2009)
By Ed Gunts | ed.gunts@baltsun.com
2:46 PM EDT, May 6, 2009
As part of an effort to revitalize the arts and entertainment district north of Pennsylvania Station, the city of Baltimore is seeking a developer to renovate the historic Parkway Theater and two adjoining properties as a venue for "cabaret, film, live music and live performance, and other appropriate uses."
The Baltimore Development has set Aug. 7 at noon as the deadline for proposals from groups interested in recycling the dormant theater at 3 W. North Avenue and buildings at 1 W. North Ave. and 1820 N. Charles St.
A private businessman, [redacted], began renovating the theater several years ago but never completed the project. The city now controls the three buildings The development corporation is requiring that the theater and the Charles Street building be "retained" as part of any revitalization plan.
(The following story appeared in the Baltimore Sun on May 7, 2009. It is a somewhat longer than the story immediately above with additional details. Click the hyperlink at the bottom of the story to access the original story.)
City wants Parkway Theater to be hub for rehabilitation
(Ex: The Baltimore Sun, May 7, 2009)
Theater is near Penn Station
By a Baltimore Sun staff writer
May 7, 2009
As part of an effort to revitalize the 100-acre arts and entertainment district north of Pennsylvania Station, the city of Baltimore is seeking a developer to renovate the historic Parkway Theatre and two adjoining properties as a venue for "cabaret, film, live music and live performance."
The Baltimore Development Corp. has set noon Aug. 7 as the deadline for proposals from groups interested in recycling the dormant theater at 3 W. North Ave., as well as buildings at 1 W. North Ave. and 1820 N. Charles St.
An entrepreneur, (redacted), began renovating the theater several years ago but never completed the project. The city now controls the three buildings, although it hasn't finished acquiring all of them. The development corporation is requiring that the theater and the Charles Street building be "retained" as part of any revitalization plan.
The properties up for bid occupy the southwest corner of Charles Street and North Avenue, a major intersection within the Charles North revitalization district. City officials unveiled a "vision plan" last year that lays out a strategy for investing up to $1 billion to reinvigorate the area and identifies the Parkway as a key property for arts-oriented renovation.
Kim Clark, executive vice president of the development agency, said city officials are looking for proposals for combining the three properties into one project that is consistent with the city's plans for the surrounding area. "We would like it to be a performance venue," she said of the Parkway. "That's what's called for in the vision plan."
With 1,100 seats, the Parkway was built in 1915 as a vaudeville house but has primarily been used to show motion pictures. It was acquired in 1926 by the Loews organization and extensively remodeled. In 1956, it was renamed the Five West Art Theater and continued to show movies until it closed in the mid-1970s.
In the early 1990s, part of it was used as commercial space. It has been largely dormant for more than a decade.
Clark said her agency is discouraging proposals that rely heavily on public financial support. The entire request for proposals is available at www.baltimoredevelopment.com.
Parkway Request for Proposal Issued
On May 6, 2009 The Baltimore Development Corporation issued an RFP (Request for Proposal) for the redevelopment of Baltimore's Parkway Theatre and two adjacent buildings as support structures for the theatre. Please click HERE to access the complete RFP document. (Note: Registration at the BDC web page may be necessary.) The RFP establishes a deadline of August 7, 2009 for submission of proposals.
A pre-proposal conference will take place at the BDC offices at 1:30 PM on June 17, 2009. Click HERE for complete details.
The Latest BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
Baltimore Development Corporation has selected Samuel Polakoff of Cormony Development and Donald and Thibault Manekin of Seawall Development Co. to be the redevelopment team for the Parkway Theatre. The November 24, 2009 Baltimore Sun story can be found HERE. Article text appears below.
Article text appears below.2 proposals submitted for Parkway Theatre
City had asked for plans for arts district Parkway Theatre
By Edward Gunts | ed.gunts@baltsun.com
August 11, 2009
Two groups have submitted proposals to redevelop Baltimore's historic Parkway Theatre at 3-5 W. North Ave. and two adjoining properties at 1 W. North Ave. and 1820 N. Charles St. in the Station North arts and entertainment district.
The teams are headed by Teddy Kim, a Washington-based businessman, with Brown Craig Turner as the architect, and Maryland developer Samuel Polakoff, with Ziger/Snead and Cho Benn Holback + Associates as architects.
Kim is related to Tony Cheng, a Washington-based restaurateur who controls numerous properties near the intersection of Charles Street and North Avenue. Polakoff's Cormony Development recently agreed to bow out of the $250 million Gateway South development project on Russell Street south of Camden Yards so a slots parlor could be built on the land instead.
The Baltimore Development Corp. last May requested proposals that preserve the 1915 theater and adjoining properties for "cabaret, film, live music and live performance." Friday was the deadline for bids.
Mayor Sheila Dixon last year unveiled a "vision plan" that lays out a strategy for investing up to $1 billion to reinvigorate the arts district and identifies the Parkway Theatre as a key property for renovation. The development corporation required that the theater and the Charles Street building be preserved as part of any revitalization effort. City officials say they will now review the proposals and hope to select one group to move ahead with its project.
Cormony, TK Services bid to redevelop Parkway Theater
ROBBIE WHELAN
Daily Record Business Writer
August 17, 2009 1:48 PM
Cormony Development LLC, which recently pulled out of a $250 million deal to build a mixed-use sports complex south of Baltimore’s pro football stadium, is shifting its attention uptown.
The Rockville-based developer heads one of two teams that have bid to redevelop the 94-year-old Parkway Theater, a long-vacant Art Deco performance space that the city condemned and seized a year ago.
A request for proposals was issued for the Parkway, along with several surrounding buildings in May, calling for redevelopment plans that would fit well with a $100 million “Vision Plan” for the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, the city-promoted neighborhood where the theater is located, which was unveiled last October.
Cormony’s development team includes Seawall Development Co., a company led by Donald Manekin, which recently completed the renovation of the historic Census Building nearby on Howard Street, and Baltimore architects Ziger/Snead LLP and Cho Benn Holback. The proposal calls for a mixed-use entertainment venue.
Samuel Polakoff, who heads Cormony, could not be reached for comment, and the project’s architect declined to speak on the record without first consulting the developer.
The other team to bid is led by TK Services Inc. and Joseph “Teddy” Kim, a businessman from Alexandria, Va., with design by local firm Brown Craig Turner. This plan proposes razing 1 W. North Ave., an adjacent structure, and building a three-story glass structure to house a restaurant called Station North Steak House. Another property in the complex would be converted into student housing.
A representative from TK said that Kim was out of the country and unavailable, and didn’t return phone calls requesting additional details.
Two proposals have been received by the Baltimore Development Corporation with respect to the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued for the revitalization of the Parkway Theatre and two other adjacent properties. The announcement that appeared in the Baltimore Sun can be found HERE. Article text appears below.
Panel recommends team to renovate Parkway Theatre
A community selection panel has recommended that the city-owned Parkway Theatre at 3-5 W. North Ave. in Baltimore be sold for redevelopment to a group headed by Samuel Polakoff of Cormony Development and Donald and Thibault Manekin of Seawall Development Co. They proposed that the theater be renovated for live entertainment to draw visitors to the surrounding Station North Arts and Entertainment District. A second proposal called for the theater to be restored as part of a cinema and drafthouse. The panel's recommendation was sent to the Baltimore Development Corp.'s board of directors, who met in closed session last week to decide which proposal to recommend to the mayor. Kim Clark, executive vice president of the BDC, would not identify the chosen team. -Edward Gunts
